"Where's Judson?" She pushes her hair behind her ear and pours another drink.
"Well, I'm not sure. He left yesterday. I haven't heard from him."
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Han?" I grab her hand, wanting to pull her into a hug.
"Jameson broke up with me."
What?
Jameson was upset the other day when he saw his dad, but he looked like he genuinely cared for Hanna.
"What do you mean he broke up with you?" I am actually pretty shocked, considering the way he acts around her. He seems pretty infatuated with her.
"He said he needed to take a break. I haven't talked to him since last night. No explanation. He just called me yesterday after leaving practice and not telling me and said he needed some space."
Shit. He didn't tell her anything. He is definitely Judson's brother.
They are both shutting us out. I respect that he wants his privacy, but I won't lie and say it doesn't hurt. About the time I am about to explain everything, Judson and Jameson come strolling through the restaurant's door. I tap Hanna on the hand, and she turns her head. She instantly tenses up. I can tell she is on the verge of tears.
Judson looks rough, his eyes are bloodshot, and I can tell something is wrong.
Jameson walks up, and Hanna's eyes find his.
"Can we talk?" He asks her and gives me a weak smile.
She glances at me, and I nod to her that she should go.
Judson pulls out a chair and sits down. He is having trouble looking me in the eye. I feel my heart sink and a lump in my throat the size of a golf ball. I can tell whatever is about to come out of his mouth isn't good.
"You look beautiful." He takes my hand, and finally, those big dark eyes find mine. It's like I'm looking straight into his empty soul. He doesn't seem the same. Something is definitely off.
"But?" I ask, waiting for the bomb.
He doesn't speak. He picks up his phone, completely disconnected from me, from this conversation.
"Why do I feel like this is goodbye?" I ask bluntly, and he looks down at the table. What more validation do I need?
I grab my purse and leave his car keys on the table. If he wants to go through this alone, what choice do I have? I walk out the door, realizing whatever connection I thought we had, wasn't as strong as I thought.
CHAPTER 33
JUDSON
December 16
It's been three days since Blake walked out of the restaurant. She left my keys, and by the time I got back to the apartment, it was empty. My mind was spinning about a hundred miles an hour, and now I'm just worried. I thought maybe she would be at the house, but she wasn't. I even checked the spot by the lake. She won't return my calls, and I don't know where she is. I have called almost every hotel I can think of. I am going through about a thousand different scenarios in my head of where she is. The most important thing right now is making sure she is safe. If she doesn't wanna see me, then that is her choice, but I want to know she is okay.
I spent the night away from home in Atlanta talking with Carter, who happens to be my attorney. Jay came with me, and I wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any issues with Ryan Banks getting out of prison, as far as the company and assets are concerned. He assured me, any and all association he had with the company is history. I am going to attempt to get legal restraining orders against him where Jay is concerned. I just don't trust him. Sure Jay is eighteen and can make his own decisions, but I refuse to let him manipulate Jay. Myself, on the other hand, I'm not afraid of him anymore. I know everything he says is bullshit.
When we got back to town, we saw him at the office around 5. He said he had business with both of us. I basically did everything I could to make sure he knew there would be no conversation, no little chat, and indeed no relationship. However, I know this won't be the last time I hear from him. He's out of prison with an ax to grind. He lost everything, and he blames it all on me.
Even though I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger with the investigators, he still knows of my involvement. It actually wasn't my idea to have the company and investments looked into, it was Carter's, but I helped get the info needed to shut it down. Then when everything went crashing down, it was up to me to fix it. So I took the past six years making everything right and being a dad to his kid.
By the time I had Hanna and Blake tracked down and got to the restaurant, my mind was anywhere but where it should have been. She must be running for the hills finding out about my fucked up daddy issues. I just don't want to see him try and get to Blakely. I know he isn't going to let this go. He will try and do everything to destroy me and everyone I care about. If I have to leave Blakely alone to protect her, then that's what I will do.
My phone flashes across the room, and I catch the display light in the corner of my eye. I basically run to it, a slither of hope that it is Blakely. My heart sinks a little when I see an unknown number across the screen with the words "Tennessee" underneath it.